I wonder when it was that I realized this war was going to end in hell?
"It's kind of nostalgic to have Touri in the squad."
"I feel the same way, Senior Allen."
There is no chance of survival ahead of us.
Being ordered on a mission that is nearly impossible to survive and dying is part of the role of a soldier.
"Just look at you now, Shorty. Looks like you have more muscle than before."
"Well, I was trained by a scary platoon leader."
Some time ago, Senior Gray said something like this:
'There's no way we'll survive until the war ends. Our deaths are certain.'
'Death is our goal. It's the salvation God has given us for our hard work, liberating us
from further suffering.'
"Does anything here regret doing this?"
"Of course not, Senior Allen."
"Good. Now then… let's do our jobs, you death seekers."
I still don't have as much experience as Senior Gray.
But now, I feel like I understand his feelings a little bit.
***
11 soldiers volunteered for this suicide mission.
There were people of all ages there, from veterans like Senior Allen to newly enlisted rookies.
"We'll proceed ahead towards the western fork towards the Tar River."
"Understood."
"It'll all be for nothing if they suspect our advance is a diversion. Let's trust that the enemy's scouts are competent and move forward while staying hidden."
It's common for advance units to move while hiding.
It'll be obvious it's a diversion if we advance openly without hiding.
"Touri, you should join the reconnaissance. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Yes, Senior Allen."
While believing that the enemy would catch our movements, we hid ourselves in the forest and crept forward through the grass.
"Ah, I've spotted the enemy. Looks like they haven't noticed us."
"How many are there?"
"Multiple squads. They're moving toward the western side of the river."
"They're fast. They've already started moving west."
Immediately after Senior Allen's squad moved west, the enemy stretched out toward the Tar River.
It's possible that we were under the watch of Sabbatian scouts from the moment we set out.
"Stay alert, and search for enemy soldiers."
"…I don't see anything to the north."
"Ah, there's one to the south, at 5 o'clock. Should I shoot?"
"Yeah, but don't hit him. We need them to report our position."
"Understood."
Having received permission, I immediately fired a training round.
When the bullet shook a tree near the enemy, the scout immediately hid and disappeared somewhere.
"I missed."
"That's fine. Let's move to a different location while we can."
…It's actually refreshing, carrying a gun and following Senior Allen's commands.
Until now, I've only been told to stay trembling in the trenches.
"If they've caught sight of us, we need to ensure our exact location remains unknown. We'll have to face a huge number of enemies in a major battle after this."
"Understood."
I quietly nodded in response to Senior Allen's words and continued to keep watch over my surroundings.
This mission, in which the lives of all 11 of us are at stake, must succeed at all costs.
***
The number of soldiers in the decoy unit was 11, while the enemy opposing us numbered around 5,000.
Sylph Nova was still unconscious at this time, and the chain of command had not yet been restored.
In Sylph's place, the relatively conventional commander Kitahashi took command.
Realizing that we were a small group, he decided to significantly reduce the pursuit units and issued orders to set up a defensive line against the incoming Austin Army from the rear.
If Sylph had been conscious, she would have likely been furious, saying, "It's a race against time, so don't worry about the rear and charge in with the entire army!"
Commander Kitahashi did not have the courage to make that decision.
In a situation where the enemy was approaching from behind, ignoring them and charging forward is not a strategy found in any textbook.
Moreover, since this surprise attack itself was so out of the norm, it would have been difficult for anyone else to lead this operation other than its creator, Sylph.
"They're heading for the Tar River."
"Ah, they intend to join forces with Austin's main forces."
Those 5,000 Sabbatian soldiers were also lured by our decoy unit and began to move towards the Tar River.
To the west of the Tar River is the Southern Army Headquarters, which can be considered the main camp of our Austin Army.
Originally, the retreat destination instructed by Verdi was this Southern Army Headquarters. Therefore, it probably didn't look suspicious to the enemy.
***
"…Hmm?"
"─────This…─────"
"I-It's connected! We're connected!"
Dozens of minutes after parting ways with the decoy unit…
Around the time the main force took the southern route, Verdi finally succeeded in communicating with our allies.
"This is Verdi Company, retreating towards Paschen! Requesting protection."
"─────Details, understood─────repeat─────Paschen…"
Though the communication was spotty due to enemy interference, Verdi, along with the medical and supply units, shed tears of joy.
"Our position is… requesting immediate backup!"
"Request───received───understood."
After successfully communicating,
10 minutes later, the Southern Army successfully arrived to protect Verdi Company.
At that time, the Southern Army commander was astonished by the low casualty rate of Verdi Company and the amount of supplies they had brought.
After all, Verdi Company had successfully taken out most of the military supplies from the warehouse.
"You didn't just retreat, you brought back supplies as well?!"
"Yes. These are necessary for us going forward."
At that moment, Verdi showed no pride in his accomplishment.
With eyes swollen from tears, he simply said:
"This scrap metal is heavier than the lives of my comrades. Please, treat them with the utmost respect."
He told the commanding officer of the reinforcements.
This report was immediately delivered to Headquarters.
Thanks to Verdi's report, the Sabbatian Army's positions and routes were detailed, and Austin's counterattack began.
Thus, the "chance time" created by Sylph Nova with the intent to burn Austin's resources came to an end.
Now, the Sabbatian Army was left in a desperate situation, surrounded by Austin forces from all sides.
Sylph Nova, the brain of the northern bridge forces, only regained consciousness after everything was over.
***
Meanwhile, at Austin Command Headquarters:
"Verdi! Verdi has done it again!"
Having lost his daughter in today's operation and feeling despondent, Major Renvel reportedly roared loudly upon hearing the report.
"I thought he was just an honor student, but he's the real deal! There are other talented people besides Aria who will follow in my footsteps!"
"Please stay calm, Major Renvel."
"How can I stay calm at a time like this?! I'll go myself, hurry up and prepare to pick him up!"
It is no wonder that he couldn't contain his excitement at the achievement of his nephew, one that even saved the fate of his homeland, Austin.
With the success of these two retreats, Verdi solidified his reputation as "the most outstanding young front-line commander" in the Austin Army.
The young genius staff officer Bern, and the miracle retreat commander Verdi—these two were rapidly elevated as exceptional talents who would carry the future of Austin.
Though both were still in their teens at this time, their names would soon resound throughout the nation as great figures destined to shape Austin's future.
"…It's more of a disturbing miscalculation than a pleasant one."
On the opposite end from Major Renvel…
The other genius, Bern Valou, upon hearing of Verdi's achievements, reportedly smiled with joy but grimaced at the same time.
He apparently inwardly thought, "Verdi Company has definitely been wiped out; we'd be lucky if even a few medics survived."
Surprisingly, he was unable to read Sylph's eccentric actions, and was quite down on himself that his command had caused such great damage.
At that moment, upon hearing that Verdi had returned nearly unscathed with supplies, Bern initially couldn't even comprehend the report properly.
"How about that, Southern Hero? My nephew can really do it!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
In response to Major Renvel's boastful voice, he could only offer a half-hearted reply.
Perplexed, Bern muttered, "How many miracles does it take in a row to make that happen?"
And upon seeing Verdi's squadron return with heavy loads…
"I'm really glad he's not in the Sabbatian Army…"
He reportedly offered his utmost praise to Verdi in his own way.
***
"What is that, Senior Allen?"
"It's a fun toy."
At almost the same time Verdi succeeded in communication…
We had successfully attracted the enemy and found ourselves surrounded on all sides by Sabbatian soldiers who had deployed in a fan-shaped formation.
"It's easy to use. Just light the fuse and toss it around."
"It's a pretty cheap-looking toy."
"They were being sold in bulk at Winn. I never thought the military would stock such ridiculous items."
They had positioned themselves toward the Tar River, anticipating our move, and by now they should have realized we were a decoy.
The moment Verdí took a southern route, they would likely realize they'd been deceived and would charge at us.
"Alright, let's spread out. We don't want them to realize we only have 11 men. Wear a confident look and fight bravely."
"Yes, Platoon Leader Allen."
"Bring plenty of toys for that. Come on, Touri, you too."
"Thank you."
As a means of countering the expected enemy charge, we decided to use a toy that could be considered one of Austin's secret weapons.
The toy was…
"Gunfire fireworks, huh?"
"They have toys like this in the city?"
"You'd get in trouble if you used these in the city streets."
Gunshot fireworks… a toy that makes the sound of gunshots.
It was originally created as a party novelty but was repurposed for military use by the capital's General Staff, one of the three major joke weapons of Austin's military.
Modified to attract enemy attention by simulating gunfire, they were set with long fuses to sound off after some time.
The sound of these fireworks is higher-pitched and sillier than actual gunfire, easily giving away its nature to those familiar with it.
The General Staff in the capital confidently sent these toys to the frontlines, but they were so ridiculous that they had almost never been used in actual combat.
There are some records of them being used on the Western Front, but the effectiveness remains a subject of debate.
Incidentally, according to those records, tragic accidents occurred when these fireworks inadvertently ignited reserve ammunition inside trenches.
Being one of the war's foremost joke weapons, the only advantage of gunfire fireworks is their affordability.
For the price of 16 shots, you could barely buy a loaf of bread.
Thus, this weapon was in demand from frontline soldiers for "use as a party trick."
In other words, these fireworks were treated more like entertainment than weapons on the Western Front.
"Hey, don't you think now's the perfect time to use these fireworks?"
However, they can be quite useful in this situation.
The true power of this weapon lies in its ability to confuse the enemy by making a small group appear to be a large force.
It was only useful as a joke weapon in trench warfare, but…
"I've finished spreading them around, Senior Allen."
"Alright, everyone, disperse! Let's make our final stand with these toys!"
If a desperate decoy unit is trying to buy time, they could be used more effectively than ever before.
With similar gunfire echoing everywhere, can the enemy really recklessly charge in?
I am amazed at Verdi's judgment to stock up on such a joke weapon.
***
This will be Allen Platoon's final battle.
On this day, Allen Platoon, who had been fighting all the way from the Western Front, is allowed to cross the finish line of the endless war.
"Senior Allen, thank you for everything."
"Yeah. Honestly, I didn't want Touri tagging along… Come to think of it, you were an orphan, huh?"
"Roles like this are meant for soldiers without families."
As we parted ways, Senior Allen pat my head with his large hand.
Since He's old enough to be my father, I don't mind being treated like this.
"It's a shame. If you grew up a bit more, you'd probably have become a beauty."
"Do you really think so, Senior Allen?"
"Yeah, I do. Maybe in about three years, I might've started to flirt with you."
After saying that much, Senior Allen secretly whispered in my ear:
"But there's no time left. If there's something you need to say, Touri, say it now."
"…What are you talking about?"
"If you stay stubborn just before you die, all you'll have left is regret. Now, go on."
After whispering that, Senior Allen pushed me towards Rodri with a grin on his face.
"Ah…"
"Hey, Shorty. Have you said your goodbyes to Senior Allen?"
…I never thought that even Senior Allen would have this misunderstanding.
Do I really look like I have a crush on Rodri?
"Yes, I've said my goodbyes."
"So? Is there something you want to say to me?"
"No, nothing at all."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
Rodri chuckled wryly.
My feelings toward Rodri are purely platonic.
It's not romantic love.
"If that's the case, then it's fine."
"What's fine?"
"If it was like that… I was thinking maybe you ended up coming here because I volunteered."
He scratched his cheek bashfully.
It seems Rodri thought I volunteered to follow him.
"That's…"
"Well, you and I were both fools with heroic aspirations. That's all there is to it."
"No, you were right. I came along because Rodri and Senior Allen volunteered."
"Hey?!"
I mean, it's the truth. I have no intention of deceiving anyone at this point.
"For an orphan like myself, my only remaining family are my comrades like Rodri and Senior Allen. Since my family is heading to their deaths, of course I'm going to follow them."
"Y-You…"
While Aria and Verdi are also very important to me, the connection I have with Rodri and Senior Allen is heavier.
I've been together with them since I enlisted in the military. The depth of our bond is deeper.
"I can't stand to leave Rodri behind and survive alone."
"…"
"And besides, actually… It's nothing."
"Hey, what is it?"
And also…
Even if I survive here, the war with Flamel awaits.
Rather than dying in battle somewhere out there, it would be better to die here with Senior Allen and Rodri.
"You were hesitating to say something."
"It's nothing."
There's no need to tell him something that will only bring despair.
Although I almost slipped up, silence is the best option here.
"Come on, hiding things at a time like this…"
"It's a secret…"
"Hahh…"
When I awkwardly looked away to cover it up, Rodri let out a sigh of exasperation.
"Hey, as sad as I am to say goodbye… It looks like the Sabbatian soldiers are starting to close in."
"Yes, Platoon Leader Allen."
As Rodri and I stared at each other in an indescribable mood, gunshots suddenly rang out from ahead.
It seems our final moments are upon us.
"Damn it. Well, see you later, Shorty. Let's meet again in the next life."
"Yes, Rodri."
The 11 of us are going to hide alone among the forest vegetation, setting off fireworks and shooting at approaching enemies.
In this way, we must buy time and support Verdi's retreat from behind us.
How much time we can buy here…
Will determine the future of Austin.
"You know, our next life may be in a peaceful, civilized world. A place where bullets exist only in video games."
"…Shorty?"
"I'd like to be born in a place like that and meet you again."
With that wish quietly spoken…
We dispersed in all directions and began intercepting the advancing Sabbatian soldiers.